DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 17/613,248, filed on November 22, 2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed October 10, 2025 has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits.
Since this application is a continuation application filed under 37 CFR 1.53 (b), the examiner has considered information, which has been considered by the Office in the parent applications. Such information need not be resubmitted in the continuing application unless the applicant desires the information to be printed on the patent.
Copies of references cited by applicant in accordance with MPEP § 609, § 707.05(b) and § 708.02 are not furnished to applicant with the Office action. Additionally, copies of references cited in continuation applications if they had been previously cited in the parent application are not furnished.
With respect to foreign language references and foreign language patent office communications with no translation of the document: “If no translation is submitted, the examiner will consider the information in view of the concise explanation and insofar as it is understood on its face, e.g., drawings, chemical formulas, English language abstracts, in the same manner that non-English language information in Office search files is considered by examiner in conducting searches.” See MPEP §609.04(a)(II) (D) and 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(ii).
Drawings
The drawings received October 10, 2025 are acceptable for examination purposes.
Specification
The specification received October 10, 2025 has been reviewed for examination purposes.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the status of the prior U.S. application listed in the first sentence of the application should be updated since it has matured into a U.S. patent. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 7 recites that the stack is inserted into the bottom part of the module frame whereas, in actuality, the stack is inserted onto the bottom part of the module frame (see claim 1, line 2 “ mounting a battery cell stack on a bottom part of the module frame”). The term “into” at line 2 should be amended to “onto”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 is recites the limitation "the bus bar frame" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (WO2019/107734) in view of Fukunaga (JP09-312169A).
As to claim 1, Kim discloses a method for manufacturing a battery module, the method comprising:
mounting a battery cell stack 100 on a bottom part of a module frame 311-313 the module frame having an upper part that is opened;
mounting an upper plate 321 such that the upper plate 321 covers the battery cell stack 100 on the opened upper part of the module frame 311-313;
coupling the upper plate and the module frame; and
coupling end plates 200 to opened opposite sides of the module frame 311-313, respectively,
wherein the battery cell stack 100 is mounted on the bottom part 311 of the module frame 311-313
Kim does not teach of mounting the battery cell stack by using spreading jigs configured to spread opposite ends of side surface parts of the module frame while
being moved along a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part of the module frame by side surface pressing jigs.
Kim does teach in Figs. 4a-4b of spreading opposite ends 312 and 313 of side surface parts of the module frame while the battery cell stack is moved along a direction (see arrow in Fig. 4b) that is perpendicular to the major planar surface of the bottom part 311 of the module frame.
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As to claim 7, the cell stack 100 is inserted onto the bottom part 311 of the module frame and into the bottom part 311-313 perpendicular (see the downward arrow in Fig. 4b) to the lateral stacking direction of the battery cells in the stack 100 (Fig. 4b above).
Kim does not explicitly teach of mounting the battery cell stack by using spreading jigs and side surface pressing jigs (claim 1), of spreading the side parts with the jig and then disassembling the spreading jigs prior to mounting the battery stack onto the module frame (claim 2), of pressing the stack using an upper surface pressing jig (claim 3), the jig comprising an elastic member (claim 4).
As to using spreading jigs (claim 1):
Kim teaches that it is necessary to pull side plates 312 and 313 to widen the spacing and the inserting the cell stack into the first housing (paras. [0018]). As shown in FIG. 4, the first left plate 312 and the first right plate 313 are pulled to create a gap between them so that the cell stack 100 can be inserted, and then the cell stack 100 is inserted into the internal space of the first module housing 310 (para. [0059]),
In order to effectively pull the sides 312 and 313 and number of conventional means for doing so would have been a predictable solution for application to the installation method of Kim.
The concept of providing a jig to spread side walls apart to permit insertion of an object into a corresponding housing was well known at the time of the instant invention.
For example, Fukunaga, also drawn to battery systems and for methods and designs for inserting batteries into a housing, recognized that a jig 33/37 can be utilized to pull the container ends so that a stack of battery elements be readily inserted into the can. What Fukunaga essentially recognized was that it was known in the art to use spreading jigs in battery assembly methods for improved insertion of battery elements into a corresponding frame or housing.
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As Kim requires pulling of the sides of the module frame as noted in Fig. 4 and as it was known in the art to provide for spreading jigs to assist in widening the insertion space between sides of an enclosure as taught by Fukunaga, it would have been reasonably and readily within the skill of the ordinary worker in the art to use the spreader jig pf Fukunaga to spread the sides of the module frame of Kim with a high expectation of successful results.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Kim wherein the battery cell stack is mounted using spreading jigs as taught by Fukunaga since it would have provided a recognized approach in the art for insertion of battery components into a housing or frame by widening the space using a jig with a high expectation of predictable and successful results.
As to moving the stack using side surface pressing jigs (claim 1):
Fukunaga also recognized providing a pair of side surface pressing members 27 which press and hold the stack of elements in position for insertion into the housing or frame at the same time.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Kim wherein the battery cell stack is mounted also using side surface pressing jigs as taught by Fukunaga since it would have provided a recognized approach in the art for retaining and guiding a stack of battery components into a housing or frame by pressing the stack elements together using a jig with a high expectation of predictable and successful results.
In short, Kim recognized the design for inserting plural battery packs in a stack into a frame wherein the frame side walls must be spread apart and the stack of batteries then inserted into the frame. Fukunaga teaches of a battery manufacturing method and system where it was known to use a jig for inserting a stack of battery elements into a corresponding opening in a frame or housing using an array of jig elements (spreading jig, side surface pressing jig, etc.) to effectively insert a common stack of battery elements into an opening in a frame or housing. Therefore there is a high degree of predictability that modifying Kim to use the Jig of Fukunaga would have predictably provide a sufficient system and method for inserting the stack elements of Kim as desired therein.
As to claim 2, Kim teaches of mounting the stack on the bottom 311, spreading the sides 312 and 132 of the opened upper part of the module frame, inserting the lower end of the battery stack 100 into an interior of the module frame 311-313 in a state where the side surface parts are spread apart.
As to claims 3 and 4, Kim does not teach of pressing the battery cell stack using a further upper surface pressing jig (claim 3), the jig comprising an elastic member (claim 4).
Fukunaga teaches of an apparatus for inserting battery elements into a housing or frame wherein the apparatus further includes an upper surface pressing apparatus 31 which is designed to effectively press the battery stack components into the corresponding opening in the housing frame (claim 3). The pressing jig array of Fukunaga is elastic in nature as it includes a pushing member 31 connected to a piston rod 30 of the operating cylinder. This apparatus can move toward and away from the stack and housing/frame and is, at least at system level, an exemplary elastic member (claim 4).
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Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Kim to also include an upper surface pressing jig as also taught by Fukunaga since it would have provided a suitable element for effectively pressing the battery stack components into a corresponding housing or frame with a high degree of success.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (WO2019/107734) in view of Fukunaga (JP09-312169A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Morisato et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0341594) or Zhang et al. (CN 207183361U).
Kim teaches that the electrode leads 111 are directed in a direction outward towards end plates 200 which include a plurality of bus bars and a printed circuit board. Kim also teaches that the cells and bus bars are connected while moving the bus bars in end plates 200 towards the batteries and in the opposite direction (into the module) to that which the electrodes protrude (out of the module).
Modified Kim does not teach of connecting the cell stack to a bus bar frame.
The presence and application of bus bar frames in end plate designs were conventionally recognized and well known in the art for the purpose of aligning and support busbar and battery tabs/leads in relation to each other within a battery module. For example, Morisato is drawn to the same field of endeavor, battery module designs including a bus bar holder or frame. The inclusion of such a frame 131 along the side face of an array of cells 111 with tabs/leads 112 extending outward was shown to improve alignment and support of the connected parts (bus bars 132 and cell leads/tabs 112). Similarly, Zhang is also drawn to the same field of endeavor, battery module designs including a bus bar holder 143 or frame. The inclusion of such a frame along the side face of an array of cells 141 with tabs/leads 121 extending outward was shown to improve alignment and support of the connected parts (bus bars 15 and cell leads/tabs 121).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery module of Kim to include bus bar frame to the module before mounting the battery cell stack on the bottom part of the frame of Kim as taught by Morisato or Zhang since it would have provide a predictable and art-recognized method and design for improved alignment and support of the bus bars and battery cell leads in the module.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (WO2019/107734) in view of Fukunaga (JP09-312169A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Obasih et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0263988).
Modified Kim does not teach of providing a thermally conductive resin onto the bottom part 311 of the module frame before mounting.
Obasih teaches (para. [0065]) that a thermal conducting paste, resin, or epoxy (not shown) may be used instead of the thermal conducting pad 90. In this embodiment, the thermal conducting paste is applied to either the bottom of the housing or the bottom of the cells (or both) before the cells (e.g., within the module) are coupled to the housing. The thermal conducting paste is configured to enhance the thermal conductivity between the cells and the housing. Additionally, the thermal conducting paste may help to adhere the cells to the housing.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the battery manufacturing method of modified Kim to include providing a thermal conducting paste to the bottom of the housing before the cells are coupled to the housing as taught by Obasih since it would have enhanced the thermal conductivity between the cells and the housing and helped to adhere the cells to the housing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. WO2018225920 discloses that bus bar frames in battery modules were a conventional design and application in the battery art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGG CANTELMO whose telephone number is (571)272-1283. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 7am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia Ridley can be reached at (571) 272-1453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGG CANTELMO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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